I'm finding it harder and harder to come up with weekday meal ideas. Anyone have any easy to prepare favorites?

Tonight I'm grilling (in a grill pan) a couple of two-inch-thick strip steaks now marinating in olive oil, white wine, garlic and pepper. With the steaks there will be roasted potato wedges seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika, and grilled strips of red, yellow and orange bell peppers.

We've been trying to eat a bit (dare I say) healthier during the week, so I've been trying to make more fish, chicken and lean pork. It is a challenge for me on the fish - not a big fan AT ALL!! But - we did try Mahi Mahi the other night with a Balsamic/Honey Glaze that was very very good. Steaks, we TRY to reserve for the weekends. There are 2 "problems" I run across coming up with ideas 1. it is only the hubby & I and 2. time. After working all day sometimes ya just don't feel like cooking and making any kind of "roast" isn't practical because we wouldn't eat until 9 pm. I do have a crock pot though - mmmm maybe some recipes for that???

Patty 4 - 6 burgers, pan fry. Remove burgers, add one or two cans CAMPBELL'S Cream of Mushroom Soup to drippings, stirring with a fork until completely blended. Simmer 10 minutes(add fresh mushroom slices if you wish here)stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 can of water(1 can if you use two cans soup)stirring until blended and bubbly. Introduce burgers to skillet, turning to coat, bring back to simmer. Serve with rice and a salad, or something green. My kid's go crazy over this.

Salmon is very easy. Take a piece of fresh salmon, sprinkle with salt, pepper, dill, butter and cover with lemon slices and put it in a packet made out of foil. Put into the oven at 350 for 15-20 mins. Serve with either a salad or fresh asparagus with grated cheese, and either corn-on-the-cob or a potato.

Rusty246 reminded me of something I haven't done in a while which is similar to what he mentioned. It's my version of Salisbury Steak. Fry the patties then add mushrooms, onions and brown gravy. Simmer until onion and mushrooms are done and serve with mashed potatoes and, as he put it, "something green."

Make a pot of spaghetti. While cooking, sauté about 5 chopped garlic cloves in 1/4 cup good extra virgin olive oil, in a large pan, just until slightly golden. Add a chopped fresh chile pepper or a dash of dried hot pepper. Drain the spaghetti when it is just al dente, and add it to the pan and cook another minute. Add a couple of tablespoons of chopped Italian parsley, a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper, and sprinkle with Parmesan if you like. Simple and quick was never better.

A quick weekday dinner for us is easy `fajitas' - fry some sliced skinless chicken breast with sliced bell peppers, garlic, and onions, season with salt & pepper, and eat with heated-up corn or flour tortillas and accompaniments of choice (grated cheese, hot sauce, salsa, sour cream, chopped lettuce and tomato, etc. etc.) You can also use sliced sausage (or beef or pork) instead of chicken and add other vegetables, i.e., spring onion, celery, zuchinni, spinach, tomatoes, etc., or just skip the meat and use more vegetables. Depending on my mood I will season the mixture with lemon juice and/or worcestershire and/or Tabasco and/or thyme and oregano while it cooks. Tonight, however, we're having what we call Unfried Rice, which is white rice cooked in the rice cooker with chicken stock, sliced chicken, rehydrated dried shiitake, frozen peas, chopped ham and carrot, seasoned with soya sauce and dry sherry (or chinese cooking wine) and serving it with steamed broccoli and lots of love.

I love chicken...tonight I'm marinating some in Japanese sesame seed salad dressing....add a little oil to the frying pan, roll the chicken in sesame seeds and fry it up...

On the side...wash fresh asparagus, don't dry it, and put it in a frying pan with two tablespoons of butter...cover and fry for about 9 minutes, turning often...

And cook an acorn squash (halved) in the microwave for ten minutes...scoop out the pulp and beat with a little butter, milk and salt and pepper (you want it almost like mashed potatoes) and serve it up with a pat of butter melting on top. For 4 people, use 2.

Serve all this with brown and serves and for dessert...Pepperidge Farm Cake.

OOOHHHH you guys are good! I'm laughing to myself - the hubby & I were going to do laundry tonight and get Chinese, but we are talking ourselves out of the laundry deal, so I think we'll stay home and try one of your suggestions!

An easy chicken recipe is to salt and pepper it then, put the chicken in a pan with one of the following:1. Chicken Broth2. Cream of Chicken Soup3. Cream of Mushroom Soup4. Cream of Chicken and Mushroom Soup5. Cream of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic Soup

Pop it in the oven at 325 until done to your taste. Throw a couple of vegetables on the side and "poofty" you're done. Easy.

It is so nice and warm out that we are celebrating "spring" with a picnic supper...........served indoors as the sun will be down by the time we eat. We are having relish tray, Ollieburgers (from the old Lum's restaurant recipe), spinach, orange sections and avocado salad. beans which have been slowly baking all day...........dessert will be pumpkin bread slices with whipped cream or girl scout cookies........take your choice!

If you check your favorite local supermarket's Web site, it's sure to have recipe ideas. Supermarket recipes usually tend toward the easy-to-prepare, plus they incorporate ingredients and items that they stock in their stores (naturally). Actually, with Web access, and a little spare time, you can explore supermarkets all over the country, not just in your back yard, and get some simple recipe ideas.

For me tonight I'm having a big baked potato with homemade cheese sauce, mushrooms, and broccoli. I'm always cooking for one. I'm eating mostly vegetarian these days, but when I make meat here's an easy, good way to prepare chicken:

Chicken breasts CheeseSalsa

Just pour a little salsa over the chicken, top with cheese, and bake at 350 until the chicken's done. I serve this with rice to which I add a little salsa, maybe some olives, and corn.

This is a new quick recipe that we have found to be better than we ever imagined.

Broil a salted, peppered and olive oiled salmon fillet skin side down for 10 minutes. Spread store bought mango chutney (we use Patak's brand) about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick (depending on your preference) on the cooked fillet. Then press in a thick layer of crushed good quality potato chips (we use Kettle Chip's Sea Salt and Vinegar) onto the chutney layer. Put the result under the broiler to heat up the chutney and brown the chips (about 1 minute). Then its done.

Defrost a Mahi Mahi filet. Heat up a little tomato basil marinara sauce, Cook the Mahi Mahi on a George foreman Grill using just a little jerk seasoning. Top with a slice of fat free cheese and smother with the marinara.

Tonight, however, we're having what we call Unfried Rice, which is white rice cooked in the rice cooker with chicken stock, sliced chicken, rehydrated dried shiitake, frozen peas, chopped ham and carrot, seasoned with soya sauce and dry sherry (or chinese cooking wine) and serving it with steamed broccoli and lots of love.

Hey Rhodes!

It might interest you to know that minus the frozen peas and chopped ham but with chinese sausages added, you've been eating a variation of the classic Chinese rice casserole! I grew up eating it. Tip: add some fresh julienned ginger and both thick and thin soy sauces for bite. Use white pepper instead of black pepper when you season it too--adds to the authenticity. I sometimes also rehydrate Wood Ears, slice them up and add them to the pot.

I like to cook a large meal on sunday and use the leftovers throughout the week. For instance this Sunday I made a fairly large pork loin roast. Monday, we ate straight up leftovers (pork w/ gravy and scalloped potatoes au gratin) Tuesday, I sliced thin strips from the roast seasoned them and warmed them in a fry pan for hot pork pitas (lettuce, tomato, onion and ceasar salad dressing- they were delicious) and a side of chips. Today I put the roast in a crock pot with some water. When I get home I will shred it well half of it) add BBQ sauce and have pulled pork sandwiches. What ever is leftover will become enchiladas on thursday. Friday we usually go out to eat.

I find this approach to be not only time saving but economical as well. By using recipes fromm different ethnic groups the meals stay intersting even though you are essentially eating the same thing every day. I do the same with beef roasts usually sunday dinner, then leftovers, phillys, shepherds pie, enchiladas